Cole Palmer won’t go down as the scorer or assister of this goal, but everyone knows it was his genius at the heart of it.
Chelsea were pinned back in their own box, but one brilliant long pass from the England international sent Pedro Neto speeding into space. It was one of the passes of the season, requiring quick thinking, vision and execution.
With Neto then one on one against Fabian Schar, there was only going to be one outcome. The winger burst away from the defender and square it to Nicolas Jackson, who was on hand to tap the ball in.
The striker was praised by his coach before the game, and you can see why. He’s always in the right positions, has the speed and energy to cause the opposition trouble, and is linking up better and better with the players around him.
You can see the goal in the clip embedded here:
[Footage from Sky Sports]
[Footage from Canal Plus]
[Footage from Telemundo]
Chelsea and Palmer position themselves perfectly to score again
We said before this game that it was essential Chelsea scored first, and that has now come to pass. The Blues have been great playing on the break all season, but have struggled more when asked to break teams down. This game is now perfectly set up for us to play that way.
Our defending has not been good enough this season, despite what Enzo Maresca says, so we can’t rest on our laurels. We will need a second goal, and it’s important to keep up this early momentum against a Magpies side which look a little shaken.
Today is a great chance for this back 5 to get a third clean sheet of the season, and we expect Maresca to be out there all afternoon on the touchline shouting to help make that happen.